ESSENTIAL TOOLS —

Handbook for Implementing a Comprehensive Work-Based Learning
Program According to the Fair Labor Standards Act

Third Edition

Revised, updated, and edited by:

David R. Johnson
Carrie Sword
Barbara Habhegger

February 2005

This document has been archived because some of the information it contains may be out of date. (June 2009)

Permission is granted to duplicate this publication in its
entirety or portions thereof. This publication is not availabe in print. Upon request, this publication will be made available in alternate formats. To request an alternate format, please contact:

This document was published February 2005 by the National Center
on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET). NCSET is funded by
the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs
(Cooperative Agreement #H326J000005). This document was originally
published in November 1999 by the National Transition Network (NTN)
through a cooperative agreement (H158M50001) between the U.S. Department
of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
(OSERS), and the Institute on Community Integration at the University
of Minnesota. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect
the policy or position of the U.S. Department of Education Programs,
and no official endorsement should be inferred. The document was
originally authored by Brian Cobb of NTN, William Halloran and Marlene
Simon of the U.S. Department of Education, and Michael Norman and
Partricia Bourexis of The Study Group, Inc. The University of Minnesota,
the U.S. Department of Education, and the National Center on Secondary
Education and Transition are equal opportunity employers and educators.

Section IThe Goal of Productive Employment for All Youth
The Work-Based Learning (WBL) Approach to Productive Employment
for Youth with DisabilitiesCareer Exploration
Career Assessment
Work-Related Training
Cooperative Work Experience
Requirements of the FLSA Related to WBLThe FLSA and WBL Career Exploration, Career Assessment,
and Work-Related Training Components
The FLSA and WBL Cooperative Work Experience Component

Section III: Case
Studies: Examples of Work-Based Learning (WBL) ActivitiesExample 1: Career Exploration in Initial Transition
Planning in a Rural Community
Example 2: Career Assessment Experience in a Cleaning Services
Setting
Example 3: A Work-Related Training Experience in a Hotel Laundry
Setting
Example 4: Cooperative Work Experience in a Restaurant Setting
Example 5: Career Exploration in Two Suburban Business Settings
Example 6: Career Assessment in a Large Business Setting
Example 7: Work-Related Training in Three Workplace Settings
Example 8: Cooperative Work Experience at Special Minimum
Wages